Engine-starting mechanism.



J. M. oms. ENGINE STARTING MECHANI SM.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEH. 1913.

I Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM. APPLlCATiON HLED JUNE 12'. 913.

1,%8,%99 Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man WM \1. 1913.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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JOSHUA M. MORRIS, OF ROGHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STANWEAR MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, INC., 015 ROCHESTER,- NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENGINE-STARTING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA M. MoRRIs, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Starting Mechanisms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My invention relates to an engine starting mechanism, with reference more particularly to devices for starting explosive engines by means of compressed air or other fluid, and it has for its object to provide an improved and novel construction for application to a multi-cylinder engine. A further object of my improvement consists in providing an arrangement whereby the compressed fluid is properly fed to the cylinders of an engine in succession, commencing with the cylinder whose piston is at the upper limit of its stroke, and following thereafter with the other cylinders in regular order until each piston has been actuated by the fluid pressure. A further purpose of my invention resides in an improved arrangement for operating a distributing device which controls the feed of fluid pressure to the cylinders, whereby an initial adjustment may be made so that the position of parts in the distributing device will coincide properly with the position of the pistons in the cylinders. Still a further object of my invention consists in making it possible for the fluid that is used to start the engine to be compressed and stored by the same device that operates to distribute it to the cylinders when starting, the distributing device be ing geared up' with the engine and adapted to be operated as a compressing pump when the engine is running. A further advantage of the invention consists in the employment of automatic pressure controlled devices which operate to start the compressing pump when the pressure in the tank falls below the required level, and also to stop its operation when the pressure is raised sufiiciently. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24:, 1918.

Serial No. 774,112.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a six cylinder engine equipped with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the same;

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing the distributing device and cooperating parts in end elevation;

Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional View of the distributing device with the actuating cam in elevation;

Fig. v5 is a horizontal sectional view of the same on the line 5*-5 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the bushings employed in the distributing device;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the distributing device;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 9 is a similar view, a portion being broken away, with the cover plate or top removed, and

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

The arrangement shown in the present application is illustrative of one of several constructions for carrying the invention into efl'ect, which may also be accomplished in other ways, and in the embodiment shown. the engine is designated generally at A and consists of cylinders A A A, A A and A which may be constructed in any approved manner and are provided with suit able pistons and a crank shaft B. C is a receiver or storage tank for the fluid pressure which is supplied to the cylinders of the engine through a distributing device D in a manner which will presently be set forth. The distributing device D has a series of ports from which the pipes a a a a a and a lead to the respective cylinders of the engine aforementioned. The fluid pressure is supplied to the distributing device from the storage tank C through a pipe 0 in which is included a pressure indlcator c and a check valve 0 A turning plug 0 may be employed to positively cut off the flow through the pipe 0 when this is desired, such valve being opened when the engine is to be started as will appear ters the distributing device at the top through the opening (Z passing thence into the chamber d from which lead the ports in communication with its corresponding port in the distributmg device through the operation of the movable members Which, for-tins purpose, serve as valves. This I preferably accomplish by the instrumentality of a series of pistons e c e e c and 6 arranged for reciprocating movement within the bushings (Z which have openings (Z in alinement with the ports 6?, d etc. Any suitable means may be employed to impart successive reciprocatlons to the pistons 6 6 etc., and this ispre'ferably. accomplished by means of a rotary cam 7 which is mounted on the shaft f and is arranged for engagement with suitable projections on the pistons in the form of anti-friction rollers 6 The pistons are cut away, as indicated in Figs. a and 7, and the bushings within which the pistons operate are correspondingly cut away to accommodate the cam As the latter is rotated, the pistons 6 c, etc., are successively raised and lowered, and communication between the ports d (1 etc., and the pipes a a etc., is closed except when each piston is at the downward limit of its movement. The cam 7 is so constructed that one piston is down while the remaining pistons are all raised su'fliciently to close their resp ctive ports so that fluid pressure is passing to only one cylinder at a time, this in each instance being the cylinder whose piston is at the upward limit of its stroke and Y ready to descend. The cam shaft f may be driven in any convenient manner from the crank shaft of the engine, and to this end the latter may be provided with a bevel pinion b in engagement with a similar pine ion which is fixed on the shaft The shaft f carries a clutch member f splined thereon, and arranged for cooperation with a corresponding clutch member f carried by the shaft F. The separable clutch members and f are afforded in order to disconnect the distributing device from the crank shaft for a purpose that will presently appear, and in starting the engine, it isessential that the projections or teeth on the clutch members he in contact with each other so that the position of the piston valves in the distributing device will correspond with the position of the pistons in the cylinders of the engine. For this adjustment, I provide a m'anually operated means for turning the cam shaft of the distributing device, whose clutch engages the cooperating clutch member on the. shaft 7. In the present embodiment, thisv adjusting mechanism comprises a pulley f mounted on the shaft 7, and a similar pulley 7" mounted in a bracket on the dash board E, the pulley being provided with a'han dle f by which it may be turned, and f is a cable passing around the pulleys and f By this means, the cam shaft f can be adjusted until the clutch members are in engagement with each other, whereupon the pressure fluid will pass from the distributing device into the proper pipe leading to the particular cylinderwhose piston at such instant is at the upper limit of its stroke, and in the succeeding operations, as the cam shaft turns with the engine shaft, the different ports will be opened to permit the pressure fluid to pass successively, to the other cylinders as their pistons reach the upward positions. I 7

After the engine is started, the valve 0 is closed thereby cutting off the supply of pressure fluid to the distributing device, after which the latter may be employed as a compressor to replenish the supply of pressure fluid in the tank C. In order to accomplish this, the tank C is connected with the distributing device by means of pipes g, 9 having check valves 9 arranged therein and connected to the openings 9 of the distributing device provided in the cover plate H. g is an annular chamber beneath the openings 9 said chamber being connected with the interior of the distributing device by means of openings g formed in the plate 9'. Disposed above said openings g and in the chamber 9 is an an nular ring of rubber, leather, or similar flexible material 9 above which is disposed a similar annular ring of metal 9". 1 .The ring g carries a series of vertical pins or projections g extending through openings in the cover plate H and surrounded by springs by which the rings are held yieldably in position directly over the openings 9, serving as a check valve therefor when the device is used as a compressor. Under such conditions, thepistons c 6 etc., force the fluid through the openings 9 and the pipes g, 9 into the receiver tank. 9 is an air inlet communicating with the openings (Z and provided with a check valve 9 By this construction, each piston 6 0 etc., may act as a compressing deviceto replenish the supply-of'flu'id pressure used in starting the engine. It is desirable that automatic means he provided for stopping the movement of the pistons last referred towhen the pressurereaches a certain predetermined point, and to'this end I may provide a pressure controlled mechanismfor disconnecting the cam shaft f from the engine. This'I accomplish preferably by means of a supplemental pressure chamber 72, in which is arranged a slidable plunger 71, controlled by a spring 7L3 and mounted on a rod 72?. The chamber h is connected by means of a pipe h with the tank C, and by a pipe h with the opening d in the top of the distributing device, the object of the last mentioned connection being primarily to prevent waste of any pressure, which is thereby directed into the distributer. k is a valve adapted to be opened and closed by means of a connecting rod or lever h at the outer end of which is a suitable handle it" for operating the same. The clutch member 7 is provided with a shifter 7L pivoted at 'h and connected at its opposite end with the aforementioned rod h. Thus, when the valve 72, is closed, the plunger h will be held up, as shown in Fig. 3, and the clutch member dis" connected as long as the pressure in the pressure tank or receiver is up to the proper point, and if the pressure drops, the clutch members will be engaged'thereby causing the cam shaft f to be operated. This will effect movement of the pistons in the distributing device so as to compress more air which is fed back to the receiver until the pressure is raised to the desired point and the clutch members again automatically disconnected.

In the operation of the parts, when it is.

desired to start the engine, the valves h and c are opened, thereby bringing the clutch members into operative relation and permitting the fluid pressure to pass to the distributing device. The pulley f is then turned until the projections on the clutch members are engaged, whereby the pressure fluid passes at once to the proper cylinder through its respective port and effects the initial movement of the engine. The consequent turning of the crank shaft imparts movement to the cam shaft f thereby operating the piston valves of the distributing device so as to successively open the ports to the remaining cylinders until the engine is properly started. Thereupon the valve 0 is closed, as is also the valve k Following this, the pistons in the distributing device compress the air and charge the receiver until the pressure is raised sufliciently to lower the clutch member P out of engagement with the clutch member 7, after which the parts remain in the position shown until a further operation is desired.

It will be understood that while I have shown a particular embodiment of the invention, I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement or details disclosed herein, but intend to cover by this application any modifications that come within the scope of the claims hereinafter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an engine starting mechanism, the combination with a fluid pressure supply, of a plurality of cylinders, a distributing device comprising a plurality of reciprocating members adapted to act alternately as valves to permit passage of fluid pressure to the cylinders and as pistons to compress the fluid supply,'a rotatable cam in operative engagement with said members, automatically actuated means for operating said cam, and manually operated means for adjusting the position of the cam.

2. In an engine starting mechanism, the

combination with a fluid pressure supply, of a plurality of cylinders, and a distributing device embodying a series of movable members, a rotary cam in operative engagement with said movable members, driving mechanism for the cam including a pair of separate clutch members, and manually 0perated means for adjusting the cam and the corresponding clutch member to bring it into proper relation with the other clutch member when starting. 3. In an engine starting mechanism, the combination with a fluid pressure supply, of a plurality of cylinders, a distributing device comprising a plurality of movable members adapted to supply pressure successively to the different cylinders, a rotatable cam in operative engagement with said members, automatic means for operating said cam, and manually operated means for rotating the cam independently of the aforesaid operating means.

JOSHUA M. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

Gr. WILLARD RICH, HARRIET T. VAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatenta, Washington, D. O. 

